Pocahontas saves the life of Capt. John Smith
One of the arguments presented in the class is that there appears to be a strange mythology surrounding the founding of Jamestown, Virginia. As you know from your readings, Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It was established by the Virginia Company of London in 1607 after some 100 years of previous English contact and failed communities such as the lost colony of Roanoke. What is interesting about Jamestown, Virginia is that we seem to have a romanticized vision of the colony much like we do about the landing of the Mayflower Pilgrims on Plymouth Rock in 1620.
We know that the first years of the colony were difficult as disease, hostilities with Indian tribes and lack of food were prevalent. There is also evidence that these early colonist turned to cannibalism. We also know that severe heat, swarms of insects, typhus, dysentery and many other calamities besieged the colony. Yet, sometimes the stories we tell about Jamestown are very different from the historical reality.
There is tremendous controversy over the various interpretations of the Jamestown experience. We have the idealized version of Jamestown where we tend to emphasize the resilience and determination of the colonists where hardy settlers brave the hazards of a "new world," or where we overemphasize the role and love story of Pocahontas. [Both views tend to leave out the Native American or African American perspective.] These romanticized views are contrasted with the various interpretations from historians who seek to explain the realities of Jamestown, as your textbook attempts to convey.
Here is the primary topic for discussion:
With the superior technology and expertise of the English shouldn't it have been easier for the Jamestown colonists to survive? Why or why not? Who were these colonists? And what exactly was their purpose?
Secondly, if the topic interests you (and please, only if you have the time) watch this critically acclaimed movie on the founding of Jamestown entitled The New World by Terrence Malick. It caused quite a stir when it came out in 2005 just two years before the 400 year anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia
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